EU, US drift apart on Ukraine aid strategy, says Belgian PM

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has said the United States and the European Union are no longer aligned in their views on Ukraine, highlighting growing transatlantic divergence as EU leaders gather in Brussels for a key summit.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, De Wever stressed that European nations now show stronger support for Kyiv than the U.S., but acknowledged that Europe lacks the military capacity to match its political will, Caliber.Az reports, citing US media.

“It is clear that the EU and the U.S. no longer share the same perspective on Ukraine,” De Wever told reporters. “Support for Ukraine remains higher in Europe, but we must admit that we do not yet have the military resources to back that support with sufficient force.”

He warned that the continent must face this strategic shortfall and act accordingly. “Europe must become stronger strategically. If we want peace through strength, we need more strength—and that is currently lacking,” the prime minister said, while underscoring the continued importance of U.S. support for Ukraine.

His remarks come just a day after the conclusion of the NATO summit in The Hague—the first gathering of alliance leaders since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House. The summit produced a landmark agreement to dramatically boost military spending across the alliance.

Under the new plan, NATO members committed to increasing military expenditure from the current benchmark of 2% of GDP to 5% by 2035. At least 3.5% of GDP will be allocated annually to core defence needs, while an additional 1.5% will go toward securing critical infrastructure, advancing military innovation, and strengthening the defence-industrial base.

Leaders also pledged to expand industrial cooperation within the alliance by dismantling trade barriers in the defence sector. Crucially, future defence spending calculations will include direct contributions to Ukraine’s military and its defence industry.

By Khagan Isayev